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"Well . . . you've definitely got yourself a fixer-upper."
Twi sighed, “I know.”
Fixer-upper was . . . an understatement. The white paint was scratched off in multiple places, one of the windows was stuck half rolled down, and the bumper was falling off from rust.
It wasn't a pretty thing to begin with, a very compact, precisely angular little vehicle, with a small cabin and a short bed. It was, for all intents and purposes, something made to get from place to place, and possibly transport things along the way, but it would . . . hopefully do its job.
Time tilted his head to the side, the way he did when he was considering things, "You're going to have to pour a lot of money and a lot of time into it, you know that right?"
“I’m counting on it,” Twilight said “A 700 rupee truck? Where else am I going to get that kind of deal?"
Time uncrossed his arms, reaching up to muss Twilight’s hair. "Well alright then. It's up to you."
With that, Time left, having already inspected the thing thoroughly, as he did with anyone's new vehicle. He was more an amateur mechanic than Twi or even Wild, but he certainly had an eye for detail. He was able to point out everything in need of fixing within 20 minutes, and Twi had no reason not to believe him. He trusted that this truck was going to take months to fix, but he was well and truly prepared to do whatever needed to be done.
He sighed again, hands on his hips, looking at the arguably pathetic little thing. In time, it would run like a charm, he was sure of it, and maybe, possibly , even look decent too.
As he stepped forward to close the hood he heard the roar of someone else’s engine pulling into the ranch and saw Warriors step swiftly out of his car. He sauntered up the path, looking down at his phone before he glanced up toward Twilight and his new pet project.
His jaw dropped.
"That is the ugliest truck I have ever seen."
Wild shimmied around in his seat, trying to get comfortable.
"You know that Robbie and Purah would literally trick this thing out for you,” he said, untwisting his seatbelt from where it had caught around his hair. “You don’t even need to pay for the parts. They’ll take a project for some new guitar strings and a lipstick."
Twilight held back a groan, "For the last time, Wild, I am not letting your weird friends anywhere near my truck."
The two were rumbling along in said truck, down the road to the university. Wild had walked up that morning begging for a ride, saying that Flora had headed over ridiculously early and couldn't drive him.
"Listen,” he said, hands up as if to placate him, “I know that she's like- your baby or whatever, but they can do some insanely cool stuff. They could literally build you a hydrogen engine!"
Twilight looked at him sideways, "Isn't the whole reason I'm driving you because your bike exploded while they were working on it?"
Wild huffed, just a little bit childishly, "It did not explode. There were a few problems and it shorted out! Something popped."
"Yeah ok."
You are literally such a downer, Twi. My bike runs on old frying oil. Can your gas-sucking monstrosity say the same?"
"Gas-sucking? Y’know this thing is more fuel-efficient than the average car right?"
"Doesn't matter. Hydrogen engine."
"You are . . . so persistent"
"I just want you to enjoy the glory of a super souped-up truck"
"Listen to me, Wild, I am just fine with my regular old normal truck. Now can we talk about something else?”
"Fine," Wild slumped down in his seat, unarguably defeated.
"How’s school? Twi asked, “I mean- I haven't driven you to in ages. Hylia, how long by now? 3 years at least.” He cooed, just a little bit mockingly, “You were just a baby 10th grader."
Wild snorted, his way of holding back a chuckle, "OK quit it. It’s all basic stuff, bio with Flora in the mornings, working in the shop in the afternoon. Nothing special really.
Twilight, still in teasing mode, cocked his head to the side, "Oh, but it's sooo special. You know why?"
"Don't say it."
"Because it's you!" He reached out to ruffle Wild’s hair, repeating the common refrain he would use when they were younger. Wild groaned and put his head into his hands.
"I'm literally gonna drive your truck to Robbie and Purah's when you're sleeping just to spite you."
"You wouldn't dare."
"That is a vast underestimation of my audacity."
The rain was pouring down over the top of Twi's truck. He had never been averse to the rainy season, always enjoying the green it brought out from the plants, but he was more than glad to have patched up the minor hole in the roof. The windshield wipers were working over time, the swooshing sound an almost lullabic pace, if not for the somewhat violent screech it did as it went back to the left, but such was life. He had fallen into an almost trancelike state (screech included) as he drove and was surprised to be interrupted by a few brightly colored blotches on the sidewalk, pulling him out of his reverie.
He slowed and pulled over, leaning to roll down his window, smirking
"You two need a ride?"
Legend and Hyrule looked up from where they were curled over, Hyrule, lifting up their shared umbrella. They looked less sour than expected for two people who had been standing out in the rain for more than a few minutes at least, but Twi supposed they had ultimately resigned themselves to that consistent fate some time ago, being as married to the bus and the bike as they were. Nonetheless, a freak storm made even the most experienced a little weary.
"And where exactly are you going?" Legend asked.
"Telma’s. Home is on the way.
"The bus should be here in 5." Hyrule said.
"And I'm here right now" Twilight answered back, “You really wouldn't be hurtin’ me. Promise.”
Legend shrugged. Hyrule closed his umbrella.
Twi smiled as Hyrule loaded his bike up in the back and chuckled as Legend rolled up the window, having to grip the lever with both hands.
By the time he was done, he leaned back into the headrest with his eyes closed, almost melting into the seat as Hyrule shut the door.
"Long day?"
"Long-ish. Midterms are never kind."
Hyrule nodded, his own midterms at the high school level, but rough as well, Twi knew.
"I'm glad I don't got to deal with 'em no more."
"Hylia, I wish."
"One day, it will all be over," He patted Legend on the leg reassuringly, "And it will be all work and no play from there"
Legend groaned "Thanks for giving me something to look forward to, doomer."
"I try my best."
Legend readjusted himself more on the headrest, sighing as he slumped down.
“How rare it is to see you two play passenger princess,” Twilight said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.
"Just for one day, bucko,” Legend said, poking Twilight in the shoulder, “Don't get it twisted."
"Oh I'm no, just saying, it's not too easy to do things like this on the bus, and certainly not on a bike"
"They have their benefits,” Hyrule said, getting just as comfortable as Legend.
"I'm sure." Twi chuckled, and the rest of the ride home was spent in relative silence.
When he finally pulled up the ranch's long dive, the windshield wiper's lullabic pace (screech included) seemed to have worked its magic. Legend's breathing was even, his hat half sloped off his head, while Hyrule’s head almost tilted onto his shoulder, blinking himself awake every so often. It was a sweet image, and Twilight hated to put an end to it, but he had places to be, minor detours or otherwise.
He tapped Legend, not too roughly on the chest
"Hey, get up. We're home."
Legend murmured, lightly, blinking open his eyes, which roused Hyrule as well.
"Go inside and take a nap, you sleepyheads."
"Can't,” Hyrule said, “got to study"
"Studying can wait. You're tired. And everyone knows a rainy day is the best time to nap."
Hyrule mhm’d and Legend waved his hand, a half-hearted agreement, but Twi knew that as soon as they got to their room, both would be fast asleep. He had done the very same. He was sure that they all had, and that they all would.
He smiled, as the two trudged inside, slow even in the pouring rain.
The windshield wiper screeched, and all was well.
This was not exactly the kind of place that Twi fit in, The city council building's marble steps glistened in the golden lamplight. The whole place was almost radically shiny as if there was some sort of magic interference to make it look so fancy. It didn't exactly look like the kind of place where people were working for the good of the city, and he supposed tonight, it wasn't.
He had been waiting for about 20 minutes when Dusk proceeded half elegantly, half exasperatedly down the steps. She looked a bit like Cinderella if Cinderella couldn’t wait to get away from her prince. He was half surprised that one of her satin shoes didn't slip off as she practically jumped down the steps,
She slammed the door open and shut (probably harder than she should have) and somehow buckled her seatbelt roughly , before finally sighing one big long sigh, like a balloon deflating.
"By Hylia," she said, toeing off her shoes.
"By Hylia indeed," Twi agreed, shifting into drive and slowly paralleling out into the road. He watched in the rearview mirror as others slowly started trickling out, Dusk being one of the earlier escapees of the gala. She blew an imaginary hair out of her face (her actual hair still being perfectly coiffed) as she turned around to look at the gathering parties.
"All of them were as positively eager to leave as I was. I know it."
"I’ll believe it."
"I hate rich people," she whined, her diamond earrings glinting in the light of the street lamps.
It had been tradition since they were able, to drive each other to and from whatever ridiculous events they needed to attend, complaining about the price of goat feed and sniveling politicians in equal respect, over a bowl of 2 rupee noodles and a few cups of boba tea. Twi was more than glad to come get her, with it having been a while since the two had last been able to do so, though he did admit, he was rather embarrassed to show up to such a fancy place in his still-in-the-works truck
The scrubbed white paint stood out more than awkwardly against the glossy black cars with their brand plastered proudly over the grill, but Dusk insisted that she didn’t care what they thought. She just wanted to be with her friend.
“Was it as bad as all the others?” he asked, watching her undo her previously perfect coif.
“Maybe worse,”She replied, wincing as she pulled out a seemingly never-ending number of bobby pins, stowing them away neatly in her purse, “It's nothing but ‘Oh, how are the kids? How are your parents?’ Never, ‘I know your vote was bought you wheedling grifter.’ Though I admit I usually save that for the council room. This was more networking than anything.”
He let out a low whistle. “Sounds pretty bad.”
“Don’t I know it!”
Twilight could almost see the eyebags beneath her makeup. Dusk was an introvert like him, and he never ceased to be impressed at her maneuvering in and outside the council room, getting up every morning to talk to people she hated, just to try and make people’s lives better.
In his peripheral he watched as she leaned against the window, her breath fogging it up.
“I’m proud of you, y’know?” he said quietly.
Dusk turned to look at him, her surprise melting into a gentle smile. “Is that so?”
“Sure and certain.”
“I’m glad to know,” she paused ruminating, “Now which noodle shop are we going to tonight?”
It was perfect.
Utterly perfect.
The mechanical workings were well taken care of, the cabin radio was replaced, every nook and cranny was cleaned to high heaven, and the outside, was scrubbed and repainted to a glossy dark brown, he even added a ladder rack for extra storage.
It was perfect.
Except for the fact that as he finally went for a test drive, the engine blew out.
He cursed as he pushed the car back up the ranch drive, having hardly gotten a few hundred feet in his completed beauty.
He was out of cash, out of energy, and honestly somewhat out of patience, which is what made him maybe, just maybe, willing to come to a compromise.
He pulled out his phone with resignation unbecoming of someone like him and as he heard the click signaling Wild picking up, tried to hold in the utter defeat in his voice
"What's up, dude?" Wild asked cheerfully
Twi waffled for a few moments, before finally, reluctantly, biting the bullet. "What exactly do I need to do to get your friends to help me with my truck?"
Twilight will admit that he waited just a little bit before pulling into the parking lot, just to watch Warriors tap his foot impatiently, looking nothing but pissed and a little bit pathetic. Of course, when he finally did pull in, it was fast, and maybe a bit flashy, which he thinks was within his rights. Wars had intended to carpool home with Artemis, but when something came up and she had to bail (admittedly with many apologies) he was left stranded.
Twi pushed his sunglasses up as he watched Wars take in the truck. Of course, the last time he had seen it, it was an utter mess, and now, new and improved, he can at least say that the captain took a little bit to consider it.
When he finally opened the door and hopped in, setting down his bags, he looked over at Twilight, with an expression reserved usually for the most serious of matters.
"It's still ugly."
Twilight groaned, grabbing him by the shoulder to at least give him a good shake in protest.
"Yeah well, I’d like to see you try to pretty this thing up.”
As Warriors’s hands came up, prepared to fight if need be, he huffed out a laugh,
"Ugly, but better."
“But better?” Twi shouted in exasperation “But better?!” They laughed as they grappled, admittedly a bit of a dangerous act, in a still-running vehicle, but Twi wasn’t worried about any mishaps.
He will admit that he misses the way that the old engine used to roar to life beneath him, but there is a satisfaction in the quiet whirr of the hydrogen engine, new and clean.
However, the greatest satisfaction came with knowing that he was the one his brothers, however reluctantly, called to take them home, and as Warriors finally acquiesced and leaned back, melting into the seat the same way everyone else seemed to, the thing he was gladdest about was how they all, eventually, found comfort in his ugly, beautiful little truck.